Installing the VMware Management Packs for vR Operations v6.0

There are three Management Packs – Log Insight (LI), VMware Infrastructure Navigator (VIN) and Storage that I think most or all of us will install. This article will help you get them installed and configured.

BTW, these MPs are downloaded from the same place the vR Ops is downloaded.

vRealize Log Insight

I should mention if you don’t use LI you should skip this section. You will need to be logged into vR Ops and be logged in as an admin user. We will work in the Solutions area. So start with the gear icon in the top left corner. Follow that by selecting Solutions.

Settings, and Solutions

We continue by using the green plus under Solutions.

Start the add MP wizard

You now use the Browse button to browse for your MP. In our case we will start with LI.

Log Insight MP

Now that we have selected a MP, we need to upload it.

The MP is ready to be Uploaded

Once we select the Upload button we see information on the MP.

We use Next to continue.

Why is there always an EULA?Installing the LI MP…

Doesn’t take long to install the MP.

Once installed you will see something like below.

However, you will not be able to use the Click Here to configure a solution button for LI as it requires no configuration. In the Solution Details area – as seen above, you can see either Configuration not needed or N/A and that confirms why the Configure icon is not working for us.

It is worth noting that you need to configure Log Insight itself to talk to vR Ops. Not hard and in their docs.

VMware vCenter Infrastructure Navigator

You should skip this section if you don’t use VIN, but I think all vR Ops customers should have and be using VIN.

BTW, VIN is also called vRealize Infrastructure Navigator in some places such as inside vR Operations but it is still VMware vCenter Infrastructure Navigator as a VMware web download.

You should start by using the instructions above for LI to install the VIN MP. When it has been uploaded and ready to install it will look like below.

VIN MP ready to install

Once the VIN MP has been uploaded and installed we need to configure it.

Ready to configure

We now have a screen where we can do our configuration of the VIN MP.

Ready for configuration

We need to name our adapter, as well as configure its connection to vC. Add your vC FQDN and credentials. For the credentials there is none listed so I added one. My account I put in the format of domain\service_acct_name and it worked.

Ready for Test

Make sure to use the Test button.

SurpriseI love passing the test!

Now once you Save and Close you will see something like below.

Collecting and receiving too!

You will need to click on the image to see it better but it will show that the adapter is collecting which is good.

You can tell if this has worked if you can see in the Dashboard List VIN. This will only work if you are logged in as the admin. More on that below.

Dashboard List

However none of my Apps – even the automatic ones like View were visible so I think there is a delay until they are seen – perhaps VIN is not finished collecting / receiving? It took perhaps an hour to see an application. Not all of them but some. A few hours more and there are not other applications. Seems like only the ones you configure for automatic application definitions are imported. But it still shows collecting. Will let it run overnight. Overnight didn’t help. Only the automatic application definitions are imported it seems. I had one for SQL and it is seen in vR Ops. But none of the others like View or vCenter are seen. I am asking around about this and will update if / when I find out more. Update – see this article for more info on this issue.

Management Pack for Storage Devices

If you do not have any VASA storage do not need to install this MP – Update – in theory it now works with generic NFS, and it does work with VSAN. However with no VASA you will get an error – this all changed in 6.0.2. Use the information above for LI to upload and install this MP.

Configure as we have above for VIN. We will need to enter new a vC service account. I entered the same one as I did for VIN.

Make sure to do the test, and when it works Save and Close. Once that is done you will see the status of the adapter.

Collecting and receiving

I believe that when this adapter is finished it’s first pull – if it actually works that way – of data you will start seeing data in the different Storage pages like Storage Components Heatmap but I am not sure. Perhaps they fill in with a third party storage MP. Update: after approximately 1 hour I saw a Health alert that seemed to indicate the issue – meaning no storage info.

It looks like this Storage MP requires Fiber switches that support CIM which I do not have. So some of the storage dashboards will not have as much info as I would like. Third party Management Packs like from NetApp or EMC will provide the necessary information you need.

Update

7/13/15 – in 6.0.2 the Storage MP supports generic NFS – supposedly – and it does support VSAN (in beta). You need specific switches, and VASA support to get what you see in the cool demo’s.

3/8/15 – added reference to my article about do you see the VIN applications in vR Ops you expect.

1/6/15 – the Storage MP needs a VASA supported array AND corresponding Brocade or Ciso management software to get the full benefits. Without the VASA array and management software you will see limited stuff, such as HBA info.

Thanks for the post Michael, I was wondering why I wasn’t seeing the VIN Dashboards.

If you want to give your normal user accounts access to the dashboard you can so that you don’t have to logon with the local admin to view it.

You can do this by doing the below:

1. Logging on with local admin
2. Select the content tab
3. Make sure the Dashboards content view is selected and in the main window click on the “Settings” cog wheel drop-down menu
4. Choose the “Share Dashboards” option
5. In the Share Dashboards window find the 2 VIN Dashboards, you can drag them onto the groups listed in the left pane to give those groups access.